Import a module from a relative path

Assuming that both your directories are real Python packages (do have the __init__.py file inside them), here is a safe solution for inclusion of modules relatively to the location of the script.

I assume that you want to do this, because you need to include a set of modules with your script. I use this in production in several products and works in many special scenarios like: scripts called from another directory or executed with python execute instead of opening a new interpreter.

 import os, sys, inspect # realpath() will make your script run, even if you symlink it :) cmd_folder = os.path.realpath(os.path.abspath(os.path.split(inspect.getfile( inspect.currentframe() ))[0])) if cmd_folder not in sys.path:     sys.path.insert(0, cmd_folder) # Use this if you want to include modules from a subfolder cmd_subfolder = os.path.realpath(os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.split(inspect.getfile( inspect.currentframe() ))[0],"subfolder"))) if cmd_subfolder not in sys.path:     sys.path.insert(0, cmd_subfolder) # Info: # cmd_folder = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)) # DO NOT USE __file__ !!! # __file__ fails if the script is called in different ways on Windows. # __file__ fails if someone does os.chdir() before. # sys.argv[0] also fails, because it doesn't not always contains the path.

As a bonus, this approach does let you force Python to use your module instead of the ones installed on the system.

Warning! I don't really know what is happening when current module is inside an egg file. It probably fails too.

Be sure that dirBar has the __init__.py file -- this makes a directory into a Python package.

You could also add the subdirectory to your Python path so that it imports as a normal script.

import syssys.path.insert(0, <path to dirFoo>)import Bar